The present invention relates generally to data presentation, and specifically to presentation of data received from a distributed network in a three dimensional format.
Typically, when a user of a hypermedia system such as the World Wide Web accesses a site in the Web, the user initially downloads a starting or home page of the site which is displayed on a screen of the user. The home page acts as a starting point within the site from where the user may navigate to other resources whose locations on the Web are indicated by corresponding Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). The most common way of accessing Web resources is by using a browser program, which converts Web pages, typically represented by textual code, such as Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) code, to graphic images on the user""s computer screen. Hyperlinks are shown on the Web page by a suitable xe2x80x9chot button,xe2x80x9d (typically shown by default as blue, underlined text), interactive site maps, push-buttons and other special images, as are known in the art. The user typically invokes a hyperlink by pointing to and clicking on the corresponding hot button, using a mouse or other pointing device. The browser program then issues a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to the URL of the hyperlink, and in response, the requested data are downloaded to the user""s computer.
When the user clicks on a hot button to select the corresponding hyperlink, he or she generally has little information about the nature of the corresponding linked resource, such as its size, format, file type or contents, other than information that has been explicitly included in a source page showing the hot button. It would be useful for the user to know information about the data offered by a particular hyperlink, such as type of contents, before selecting the corresponding hot button, rather than afterwards as is generally the case at present.
Methods for formatting data as a three-dimensional (3D) presentation are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,951 to Lombardi, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system for downloading a plurality of resources, and displaying each of the resources as a 3D image on a screen of the user.
Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), provided by Cosmo Software of Mountain View, California, is a language for the animation and 3D modeling of geometric shapes. It allows 3D scenes to be viewed and manipulated over the Internet in an interactive environment. Preferably, a user operates a special VRML viewer and connects to a site which has been created in 3D and saved in VRML format.
It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method for displaying data received from a hypermedia system in a three-dimensional format.
It is further object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method for displaying data received from a hypermedia system as one or more three-dimensional data objects each comprising content received from the system.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a three-dimensional-enabled workstation, herein termed a 3D-enabled workstation, is coupled to a distributed network such as the Internet. The 3D-enabled workstation is able to present 3D environments of resources comprised in content derived from the network. One or more content providers, at least some of which are implemented so as to provide content in an industry-standard format and which are herein termed standard providers, are also coupled to the network. Most preferably, at least some of the content providers, herein termed 3D providers, are implemented so as to provide additional data to the industry-standard content. The additional data enables the 3D-enabled workstation to present the industry-standard content in a 3D format. In each type of provider the content comprises one or more linkable resources, each resource being accessed by a respective Universal Resource Locator (URL).
The 3D-enabled workstation is implemented so as to be able to receive content from both types of provider, and to determine the one or more resources within the content. Each resource which has been so determined is presented at the workstation as a corresponding 3D data object, each 3D data object being indicative of content of its respective resource. Implementing the 3D-enabled workstation to be able to display at least some resources as 3D data objects indicative of content of the respective resources significantly improves the speed and the ability of the workstation to convey information about the content to a workstation user.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the additional data provided by the 3D provider is generated when the industry-standard content of the 3D provider is created. Alternatively, the additional data is generated subsequent to the creation of the industry-standard content. The additional data provided by the 3D provider comprises content-sensitive information for each resource in the content, simplifying the task of the 3D-enabled workstation in presenting the content. In addition, the additional data from the 3D provider is most preferably implemented in a manner customized to preferences of the provider. Hereinbelow the term xe2x80x9c3D formatted contentxe2x80x9d is used to describe industry-standard content together with its associated additional data. 3D formatted content provided by the present invention can be transferred at a significantly faster rate, and is significantly simpler to implement, than other three-dimensional content, such as Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) content, known in the art.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the content provided by the standard provider is converted into 3D formatted content by the 3D-enabled workstation. The 3D-enabled workstation generates the appropriate additional data for the content xe2x80x9con-the-flyxe2x80x9d by a method similar to that performed in the 3D provider.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the resources in the content are categorized as local links or remote links. Local links are resources which are related to each other and to the original content provider. Remote links are not related to the original content provider. The 3D data objects representing local links and remote links are most preferably different visually, so that a user is able to differentiate between the two types of links easily.
Analysis of at least some resources into a content-sensitive format, and presentation of the at least some resources as 3D data objects, enables the user of the 3D workstation to view information about the content of the at least some resources simultaneously. Furthermore, preferred embodiments of the present invention comprise one or more methods, such as presenting different viewpoints of the 3D data objects, for the user to navigate to a specific resource. Navigation to the specific resource is facilitated by the 3D format presentation, compared to navigation to a specific resource in industry-standard format.
There is therefore provided, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for displaying data, including:
receiving data including one or more Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and one or more corresponding resources, each of which resources is adapted to be displayed as a two-dimensional image on a screen;
analyzing the data to determine the one or more URLs;
determining a respective content for each of the one or more URLs responsive to the received data; and
generating on the screen a three-dimensional object corresponding to at least one of the resources responsive to the data and the content.
Preferably, receiving the data includes receiving the data via a distributed network.
Further preferably, receiving the data includes storing the data in a content provider, and generating on the screen the three-dimensional object includes transmitting the data via a distributed network to a workstation coupled to the screen.
Preferably, determining the respective content includes generating additional data responsive to the content, and generating the three-dimensional object includes generating the object responsive to the additional data.
Preferably, receiving the data includes storing the data in a content provider and transmitting the data via a distributed network to a workstation coupled to the screen, and generating the additional data includes generating the additional data in the workstation.
Preferably, generating the additional data includes generating one or more priorities corresponding to the one or more URLs, and generating on the screen the three-dimensional object includes generating the object responsive to the one or more priorities.
Preferably, analyzing the data includes determining an originator of the data, determining a respective content for each of the one or more URLs includes determining if each of the one or more URLs comprises the originator, and generating on the screen the three-dimensional object includes generating the three-dimensional object responsive to the determination.
Preferably, determining the respective content includes classifying the content into one or more categories chosen from a group including general forms, general tables, graphics, text pages, text pages with font information, and a type of media.
Preferably, generating the three dimensional object includes generating the object responsive to a position of a cursor on the screen.
Preferably, determining the respective content includes generating additional data responsive to the respective content, and generating the three-dimensional object includes generating a shape of the object responsive to the additional data and applying a material determined responsive to the content to the shape.
There is further provided, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for displaying data, including:
a workstation which is adapted to receive data including one or more Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and one or more corresponding resources, to analyze the data to determine the one or more URLs, and to determine a respective content for each of the one or more URLs responsive to the received data; and
a screen which is coupled to the workstation and which is adapted to display a three-dimensional object corresponding to at least one of the resources responsive to the data and the content.
Preferably, the workstation is adapted to receive the data via a distributed network and to determine the respective content via the distributed network.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a content provider which is adapted to store the data and to convey the data via a distributed network to the workstation.
Preferably, the workstation is adapted to generate additional data responsive to the content, and the screen is adapted to display the three-dimensional object responsive to the additional data.
Further preferably, the additional data includes one or more priorities corresponding to the one or more URLs, and the workstation is adapted to generate the three-dimensional object on the screen responsive to the one or more priorities.
Preferably, the apparatus includes an originator of the data, and the workstation is adapted to determine if each of the one or more URLs comprises the originator, and the workstation is adapted to generate the three-dimensional object on the screen responsive to the determination.
Further preferably, the workstation is adapted to determine the content as one or more categories chosen from a group including general forms, general tables, graphics, text pages, text pages with font information, and a type or media.
Preferably, the workstation is adapted to generate the three-dimensional object responsive to a position of a cursor on the screen.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a content provider which is adapted to receive the data, to analyze the data to determine the one or more URLs, and to determine the respective content for each of the one or more URLs responsive to the received data.
Further preferably, the content provider is adapted to generate additional data responsive to the content and to convey the additional data to the workstation.